ST. PAUL — Larry Batters has become the unlikely victim of what some are calling prophecy abuse. Batters, a self-described “reserved fellow” and St. Paul-area plumber, finally gave in to his wife’s requests to visit the charismatic church she attends on Sunday morning. That morning the church had invited a visiting evangelist, Thomas Kline, to speak. Kline, who claims to have the gift of prophecy, singled Larry out of the crowd of 330 and told him he would have “a worldwide ministry that would touch nations for God.” Larry was deeply moved and began preparing for his career transition, storing money away in a savings account and selling his business.

Three years later, the prophecy has “fizzled,” and he feels cheated, he says.

“I put my life on hold because I was convinced this ‘word’ was true,” he says. “Now I think it’s hooey. I’m just a plumber. Plumbers don’t touch the world.”

He’s suing Kline and the church for $1 million, to regain his dignity and try to keep it from happening to someone else.

Witnesses say Batters should have known better. They say Kline told at least 50 people that day something similar: that they would have a far-reaching ministry with global impact, and that their true calling would soon become evident. He told many of them to prepare to “be launched into the stratosphere of God’s blessing.”

“Guys like that blow in, make you feel good, then blow out and it’s back to normal,” said one church member who asked not to be identified. “You almost get used to it. It’s like a carnival ride. I’m surprised someone actually believed it.”

Larry says he fell for it “hook, line and sinker.”

“I must have been going through a mid-life crisis or something,” he says. “I’m a sucker. I admit it.” He has vowed to stick with the Lutheran place near his house for his religious needs.

Kline’s secretary said he was traveling and was unavailable for comment, but that “many people have benefited from changed lives due to Prophet Kline’s world-changing ministry.” •